Assessment of the condition of conditioned reflex activity in the process of liquid respiration

Introduction. Liquid respiration is the ability of mammalian lungs to receive oxygen dissolved in a liquid for respiration and release carbon dioxide into it. A promising field of application is the provision of marine operations. For the use of liquid respiration during deep-sea operations, the technology must ensure the normal functioning of all organs and systems of the body, prevent decompression sickness, and allow conscious activity. The study aims to assess the safety of conditioned reflex activity during independent liquid respiration in laboratory animals in normobaric conditions. Materials and methods. We performed the study on male Syrian hamsters aged four months, weighing 120-140 g. Researchers have developed a stand with an eight-level maze with a lock. We immersed the labyrinth in an aquarium. The scientists carried out the study in two stages. At the first stage, we have developed in animals a conditioned reflex of actively avoiding drowning in conditions of breathing air. The researchers placed the animal on the lower level, then immersed the maze in an aquarium filled with water at a speed that only the animal's head was above the water level. The threat of drowning prompted the animal to search for a passage to a higher level. The training was three times a day for ten days. At the second stage, scientists studied the influence of various conditions of liquid respiration on the state of the conditioned reflex activity of animals. We used two respiratory fluids - perfluorohexane (PFH) and perfluorodecalin (PFD) in three temperature regimes: 22.0, 27.0, and 32.0°C. The researchers filled the aquarium with two oxygenated respiratory fluids of the required temperature instead of water. We have entirely immersed the maze with the animal fixed at the lower level in the aquarium. After switching to liquid respiration, scientists removed the animal from fixation. From the moment of removal from fixation, the countdown of the passage of the maze began. First, we assessed the condition of conditioned reflex activity by the number of animals in the group that successfully passed the maze and the average time of its passage. Results. Animals on liquid respiration in perfluorohexane successfully passed the labyrinth in all temperature conditions. The average transit time at 22.0°C was 323±94 s; 27.0°C - 45±12 s; 32.0°C - 147±101 s. Animals on liquid respiration in perfluorodecalin successfully passed the labyrinth at a temperature of 27.0°C; the average passage time is 131±79 s; at a temperature of 32.0°C, 20% of animals successfully passed the labyrinth, the average time is 32.5 s; at a temperature of 22.0°C, none of the animals passed the maze. Conclusions. Conditioned reflex activity during independent liquid respiration in small laboratory animals in normobaric conditions persists and depends on the physico-chemical properties and temperature of the respiratory fluid.

Dynamics of the formation of a differentiation track conditioned reflex to sound stimuli of a certain duration in the gray seal Halichoerus grypus Fabricius, 1791 by the methods of operant conditioning.

In the course of the study, a 15-year-old female gray seal was trained to press a button after displaying an audio signal for 5 seconds and ignore similar audio signals of longer or shorter duration. The conducted research has demonstrated the ability of the experimental seal to reliably differentiate sound signals with a difference in sound duration of 3 seconds. Changes in the reaction time and behavior of the seal during the demonstration of sound stimuli with distinguishable and indistinguishable time ranges are described.

The influence of the initial reinforcement value on physiological parameters of conditioned respiratory reflex

BACKGROUND: Most of the studies of the role of reinforcement in the formation of adaptive behavior were performed on animals. At the same time, such an experimental model as a conditioned respiratory reflex to resistive load, has not been sufficiently studied, although an unconditioned reflex to additional resistance to breathing, on the basis of which a conditioned one is formed, is a stable reaction that has clear quantitative evaluation criteria, and the conditioned reflex itself is relatively strong, easily normalized, reluctantly extinguished and does not require observance of a number of methodological conditions. AIM: To study the influence of the initial value of reinforcement on the physiological parameters of the conditioned respiratory reflex. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The work was carried out on people of both genders, 16 people, aged 18 to 44, practically healthy. The unconditioned stimulus was applied in four gradations of external respiratory resistance: 11; 28; 54; 76 cm water • l/sec. The conditioned reflex was formed by the classic type, the duration of application of the conditioned stimulus was not fixed and its end coincided with the end of the action of the unconditioned stimulus, the period of the isolated action of the conditioned signal was 10 sec. As physiological parameters, we studied the ventilatory and motor parameters of respiration, the temporal parameters of the conditioned reaction. RESULTS: The influence of the unconditioned stimulus on the value of the tidal volume after the combination in all subjects depended on the absolute reinforcement values used in this combination, and was weakly connected with the initial reinforcement value. The influence of the external resistance on breathing used in this combination was significantly higher on such parameters as intraoral pressure of inspiration and expiration; the role of the initial reinforcement value in the dynamics of the given parameters was not confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: Most “sensitive” to the action of the initial value of the resistive load were the temporal parameters of the conditioned respiratory reflex — the latent period and the time of the conditioned reaction; the parameters of the “ventilatory” and “motor” outputs of the external respiration system changed noticeably, the spirometric parameters showed very little dynamics, and the capnographic parameters practically did not change. The dynamics of the parameters of the conditioned respiratory reflex to increased external respiratory resistance permits to single out groups of signs that have the greatest semantic significance for evaluation of the system-forming and discriminating role of the initial gradation of the reinforcement factor.

About the rate of differentiation formation depending on the duration of action of the differentiated irritant

It is known that in a positive (delayed) conditioned reflex there is a process of internal inhibition, an indicator of which is the so-called. latency period. Moreover, the more the conditioned reflex is set aside, the more the process of internal inhibition is expressed in it.

Effect of the extract of dry Serratula centauroides on the behavior of white rats in tests with positive reinforcement

The effect was studied of dry leaf extract of Serratula centauroides L. on the behavior of white rats (Wistar) in tests with positive reinforcement. It was revealed that the extract of S. centauroides at doses of 50200 mg/kg promotes in animals a decrease in the level of anxiety, adaptation to unfamiliar conditions, and as a consequence, to an increase in the volume of food intake. And also a more rapid formation of a conditioned reflex with positive reinforcement. In animals treated with S. centauroides extract, the volume of food taken in hypophagia test was 1.42.7 times higher than the control value. In the T-shaped maze, 5080% of the animals in the experimental groups developed a conditioned reflex to positive reinforcement, while none of the animals in the control group reached the learning criterion. The S. centauroides extract showed the most pronounced effect on the behavior of animals in tests with positive reinforcement at a dose of 100 mg/kg.

CONDITIONED REFLEX MECHANISMS OF ADAPTATION TO ADDITIONAL BREATHING RESISTANCE

The problem of adaptation to additional breathing resistance has recently become more urgent due to the growth of bronchopulmonary diseases. Therefore, there is a natural interest in non-drug strategies compensating resistive breathing in humans. The aim of the study was to assess conditioned reflex changes in the functional state of the subjects under additional breathing resistance. Materials and Methods. The work was carried out on 55 practically healthy subjects of both sexes, aged 18–36. Additional breathing resistance was modeled by inspiratory resistive loads of 40, 60, 70, and 80 % of the maximum intraoral pressure. The conditioned respiratory reflex to resistive respiratory load was developed as a short-delayed conditioned signal with a 30-second period of isolated action. The authors examined behavioral, vegetative, gas and energy indicators of the organism before and after the formation of a conditioned reflex. Results. It was observed that conditioned reflex shifts of physiological parameters in the process of adaptation to additional breathing resistance differ significantly from the corresponding unconditioned reflex changes both in nature and in intensity. Conditioned reflex mechanisms reduce the intensity of shifts in the motor component of the external respiration system, which, apparently, is the main reason to decrease the aversive behavior. Conclusion. Behavioral changes after the formation of a conditioned respiratory reflex to additional respiratory resistance are characterized by a decrease in aversive behavior patterns. The conditioned reflex realization of increasing resistive loads is expressed in a lower physiological cost of adaptation to additional respiratory resistance relative to the unconditioned reflex type of realization. Keywords: adaptation, conditioned respiratory reflex, additional breathing resistance. Проблема приспособления к дополнительному респираторному сопротивлению в последнее время становится все более актуальной в связи с ростом бронхолегочных заболеваний. Поэтому естественен интерес к нелекарственным механизмам компенсации резистивного дыхания человека. Целью исследования являлась оценка условно-рефлекторных изменений функционального состояния испытуемых в условиях дополнительного респираторного сопротивления. Материалы и методы. Работа проведена на 55 практически здоровых испытуемых обоего пола в возрасте от 18 до 36 лет. Дополнительное респираторное сопротивление моделировалось инспираторными резистивными нагрузками величиной 40, 60, 70 и 80 % от максимального внутриротового давления. Условный дыхательный рефлекс на резистивные дыхательные нагрузки вырабатывался по типу короткоотставленного с периодом изолированного действия условного сигнала 30 с. Исследовались поведенческие, вегетативные, газовые и энергетические показатели организма до и после формирования условного рефлекса. Результаты. Показано, что условно-рефлекторные сдвиги физиологических показателей в процессе приспособления к дополнительному респираторному сопротивлению существенно отличаются от соответствующих безусловно-рефлекторных изменений как по характеру, так и по интенсивности. Условно-рефлекторные механизмы уменьшают интенсивность сдвигов моторного компонента системы внешнего дыхания, что, по-видимому, является основной причиной снижения вероятности появления аверсивного поведения. Выводы. Поведенческие изменения после формирования условного дыхательного рефлекса на дополнительное респираторное сопротивление характеризуются снижением вероятности появления аверсивных форм поведения. Условно-рефлекторная реализация возрастающих по интенсивности резистивных нагрузок выражается в меньшей физиологической стоимости приспособления к дополнительному респираторному сопротивлению относительно безусловно-рефлекторного типа реализации. Ключевые слова: приспособление, условный дыхательный рефлекс, дополнительное респираторное сопротивление.

Pathophysiological mechanisms of resistive breathing

AIM: This study aimed to explore the pathophysiological mechanisms of resistive breathing by using a model of a conditioned respiratory reflex to external resistance to breathing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inspiratory resistive loads were used 11, 28, 54, and 78 cmAq/l/s to model a conditioned respiratory reflex. External respiration was parametrized on the basis of the analysis of motor and ventilatory outputs. Conditioned signals were pure sounds exceeding the threshold of perception by 10 db at 2000 Hz frequency. All the test persons were divided into two groups (large and small groups) according to the initial reinforcement value. (1) In the large group (37 individuals), the conditioned reflex was formed from 11 cmAq/l/s that was subsequently increased stepwise in the load to 76 cmAq/l/s. (2) In the small group (18 individuals), the initial reinforcements were different gradations of resistive loads, with a stepwise transition to the other parameters of an unconditioned stimulus. The period of the isolated application of a conditioned signal (CS) was 20 s, the interval between signals was not fixed, varying from 2 min to 4 min. Six to eight combinations of the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli were used for 1 day of the experiment. RESULTS: The increase in the added respiratory resistance was associated with the pronounced reduction of pulmonary and alveolar ventilation, that is, with the hypoventilation type of resistive load realization. Changes in ventilation during the isolated application of a conditioned signal had an alternative character. In particular, as the reinforcement factor increased, a pronounced shift to hyperventilation was noted. CONCLUSION: The reinforcement value of the conditioned reflex changed stepwise, thereby significantly restructuring the proportion between the effectiveness of the adaptive activity in the realization of external resistance to inspiration (the time of stay under a certain load) and its physiological cost (totalities of the deviations of physiological and energy parameters).

BEHAVIORAL FUNCTIONS IMPLEMENTATION ON SPIKING NEURAL NETWORKS

The question of behavioral functions modeling of animals (in particular, the modeling and implementation of the conditioned reflex) is considered. The analysis of the current state of neural networks with the possibility of structural reconfiguration is carried out. The modeling is carried out by means of neural networks, which are built on the basis of a compartmental spiking model of a neuron with the possibility of structural adaptation to the input pulse pattern. The compartmental spike model of a neuron is able to change its structure (the size of the cell body, the number and length of dendrites, the number of synapses) depending on the incoming pulse pattern at its inputs. A brief description of the compartmental spiking model of a neuron is given, and its main features are noted in terms of the possibility of its structural reconfiguration. The method of structural adaptation of the compartmental spiking model of the neuron to the input pulse pattern is described. To study the work of the proposed model of a neuron in a network, the choice of a conditioned reflex as a special case of the formation of associative connections is justified as an example. The structural scheme and algorithm of formation of a conditioned reflex with both positive and negative reinforcement are described. The article presents a step-by-step description of experiments on the associative connection’s formation in general and conditioned reflex (both with positive and negative reinforcement), in particular. The conclusion is made about the prospects of using spiking compartmental models of neurons to improve the efficiency of the implementation of behavioral functions in neuromorphic control systems. Further promising directions for the development of neuromorphic systems based on spiking compartmental models of the neuron are considered.